Once Upon a Dream
by KKool
Summary: Kala's having visions of a strange Korean woman and they're giving her feelings she definitely wasn't expecting. This might change her statement of life's objectives just a little.


Despite her friend's taunts Kala wasn't completely naïve when it came to sex. By the time she was 20 she had realized that her school's sex-ed classes were a joke; a jumbled mess of abstinence only and censorship. Asking her parents was out of the question – her Dad stuttered while over even basic biological concepts and her mother's talks about menstruation were a lesson in euphemisims. Radhika, never one to be ashamed of her sex drive, would have been a fountain of information but Kala was a scientist. Rather than asking her best friend, she did what any self-respecting scientist would do – she approached the issue with a clear set of objectives and a detailed methodology (including bibliography) that would give her substantialresults.

But this was outside the scope of her research question. None of her findings had looked at sex between two women.

* * *

Kala had been asleep, exhausted from last night's engagement party, when she thought she heard noises in her room. She looked up to find herself in a bed that was entirely unfamiliar. It looked like she was in a small bedroom where everything, from the musty sheets to the generic furniture, screamed guest room. The noises she'd heard seemed to be coming from the room across the hallway. "This has to be a dream" Kala thought as she tried to locate the source of the sounds. "I knew I should have stayed away from the shahi paneer last night. Exhaustion and indigestion are never a good mix." She'd sat up in bed and found herself with a view of two women, compete strangers to her, in bed together.

Kala stared at them agape, before the shock finally faded and she turned away – in embarrassment, in confusion, and a sense that if this wasn't just a dream she should give them some privacy. But she couldn't get the last image she had seen of them out of her head. The ecstasy on their faces, the sense of peace. It filled Kala with a sense of longing. She must have fallen asleep soon after because her next conscious thought was waking up in her own bed.

It had been a few days since she had the – what should she even call it? - An amazingly life-like dream? A hallucination? Coupled with the other visions she'd been having about the white women killing herself and the Asian women she thought she saw at the sangeet she was getting seriously worried about her mental health. To distract herself she threw all her energy into wedding planning. Organizing an Indian wedding is always a monumental task but it was at least easier for Kala given that she genuinely liked Rajan. He was smart, funny and kind and they'd been friends for a while before her proposed. And if some part of her felt that there was more out there, that Rajan was a safe choice – well then, no one else needed to know did they.

Her resolve to not think about the visions lasted until she saw Rajan at work the next day.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, catching up with her after their staff meeting. "You've been distracted since last night."

"I'm fine. Just kind of tired with all the wedding preparations."

"Only two days to go! You excited?"

"Actually, I just remembered Ma wanted me home soon tonight. I'll call you later?" she hedged, rushing off before he could reply. She knew they would have to talk about this soon but she needed some time to figure out her own mixed emotions first.

She'd fully intended to call Rajan later that night but she'd been so exhausted from the emotional roller coaster she was on that she'd fallen asleep immediately after dinner. She was tired enough that her mind didn't even register that she was dreaming at first. It was the music that filled her head first. It wasn't even a song she'd ever heard before but she instinctively knew the words and was singing along before she realized. That was when she registered that she was in someone else's house. Again. This time the same Korean woman from her visions was there, completely naked and singing in the shower. This time, Kala wasn't fazed at all. If these strange dreams were going to keep occurring, then she was going to enjoy them while they lasted. She began to join in the singing with abandon and watched as the other woman danced in time to the music.

* * *

"Okay… you have to tell me what the hell is going on with you?" Radhika demanded, swatting Kala with her pillow. Kala was lounging on Radhika's bed watching as Radhika tried on outfits for the wedding. "Is it just wedding jitters? Is it Rajan? Joote marke bhaagana hai kya?*"

Kala laughed despite herself. "It's not Rajan, Rads. Anyway, the wedding is in two days. I think it might be a little too late for that."

"Psshh…. It's never too late. If you really want to stop this wedding we will."

"I don't know!" She paused, unsure exactly how much she should reveal to Radhika. They'd been friends for years but Kala was a little nervous about the reaction she might get. "So I've been having these dreams….."

"Ooohh! Like sexy dreams? Or like prophetic dreams? Wait, are they about Rajan? Some mysterious stranger?"

"They're like really life-like dreams. I've been seeing this East Asian, probably Korean woman. And there were these two women having sex. And I've been having these thoughts. Except I really like Rajan so it doesn't even make sense. And the wedding is in two days. And mama and papa are so happy about this wedding….." Kala knew she was rambling but it felt really good to get this all off her chest.

"Whoa… okay. Slow down Kala." Radhika abandoned the lehanga she'd been contemplating and sat down on the bed next to Kala. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just with these dreams and visions I've been having and these really confusing feelings and wedding prep I've just been really stressed out."

"So like sexy dreams with Korean lady are throwing off your game?"

"Kind of…. I mean I do like Rajan but I feel there's definitely some connection between me and this woman. It feels like she's real. What if it's my subconscious sending me a message."

"You might need to talk to Rajan."

"I don't think…"

"Look – you might genuinely love Rajan. But you might also be confusing a good friendship for romantic feelings. Don't you deserve some time to at least figure it out?"

It took Kala four hours before she screwed up her courage enough to call Rajan. Another hour before she finally finished telling him everything.

"Look I know you don't believe in things that you can't explain but...'

Rajan shook his head. 'No. I may not believe in God or religion but I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I can explain everything. And whether these people that you're seeing are real or not there's definitely something odd going on."

Kala heaved a sigh of relief. 'Oh thank God! I thought you would think I'm going crazy."

Rajan sat down by her and took her hands in his. "The bigger question is – do you still want to get married tomorrow?"

"Everything's already planned and - "

"That doesn't matter. You can fake being sick or I can break a leg or something. If you need time to figure this out, then that's we'll do. I love you Kala and I want you to marry me because you want to. Without reservations."

When Kala finally met Sun, when she knew what was happening to her, when she'd finally understood her place amongst these seven other entirely unique individuals she was glad she'd taken her time. Sun wasn't imaginary and neither was the connection between them. And if Kala had to spend the next six months 'visiting' Sun in jail so she could spend more time with this kind, quiet, angry woman it would be worth it.

* * *

* Joote marke bhaagana hai kya – Drive him away with shoes?


End file.
